Rodney Purvis | Senior | Shooting Guard | Upper Room Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Rodney Purvis is the No. 5 shooting guard in the ESPNU 100. Since de-committing from Louisville in the spring, Purvis, a shooting guard at Upper Room Christian Academy (Raleigh, N.C.), has been one of the hottest stories of the summer with nearly every major college coach in the country hot on his trail. Purvis has agreed to give ESPNHS exclusive access to his life and chronicle his thoughts in a monthly blog.
What’s up world!
By now most of you have probably heard that I’m gonna make my decision on Friday at 2:30 p.m. at my school. I’ll be deciding between Ohio State, North Carolina Central, North Carolina State, Memphis and UConn.
Whew! It’s definitely been a super-long process and this decision will be very challenging because all of these schools are truly great. A lot of people just throw that around, but I really mean it when I say they’re all great. They all have a lot to offer and it could definitely be the perfect situation for me at any of these schools.
I really have been going back and forth with this decision because it’s so important to be in the right situation, but when you can’t go wrong with any of your options it makes it so much harder.
I really like Central because my godfather (LeVelle Moton) is the coach there, my mom played there and it’s a great HBCU. Those guys are definitely on the rise and I know I’d fit in well there.
With Memphis, I really like Coach (Josh) Pastner and they recently got Damon Stoudamire on staff, who I really like too. I like the school and the team is really young and talented. They really fit my style of play.
Ohio State would also be a great choice for me because they’ve got Coach (Thad) Matta. His resume just speaks for itself. He really lets his guys play and that’s appealing. They’ve got a winning tradition there.
North Carolina State is right here in my hometown and they’re in a rebuilding process with the new coaching staff. I have gotten to know Coach (Mark) Gottfried really well and I’m friends with a lot of the players.
Then you've got UConn. I had a great time on my visit there recently. There’s just so much tradition there and they put a lot of guys in the pros. Then you’ve got Coach (Jim) Calhoun who is one of the best coaches in the country.
I really can’t say anything bad about any of the schools. I actually take a piece of paper out when I have free time during the day and write down the pros and cons about these schools and I can’t find too many cons about any of them.
It can be a stressful process, but I never let it get to the point where I'm too stressed because at the end of the day I’m going to pick a great school and I’m going to be happy. I don’t let it give me a headache.
I’ve gotten some really good advice throughout this process from guys like Kemba Walker, Will Barton, Lorenzo Brown and Jared Sullinger. They all gave me really good things to think about. They all touched on different things and I really appreciate them for that.
I’ve gotten some of the best advice from my family though. They all weighed in on this decision and I respect their opinions. Ultimately, though, they know that I’m gonna be the one dribbling the ball up and down the court so they’re gonna support me regardless.
I’ve definitely been reading a lot of the messages all of the fans have been sending me on Twitter. One guy told me that if I come to State he’d wear some crazy shirt to every home game, Haha. That was pretty funny.
Well, as always, I really appreciate you guys reading my blog.
I’ve got to do more thinking. I hope to see you guys at my announcement at 2:30 p.m. this Friday. I guess we’ll see what happens at that time.
Until then everyone!
Don't forget to follow Rodney Purvis on Twitter: @RPurvis_5
Editor's Note: ESPNHS basketball editor Jason Jordan will be tweeting live from Purvis' press conference. Follow him: @JayJayESPN. Check ESPNHS Friday for the breaking news story of Purvis' decision.